by Peter James | Nov 5, 2024 | Paul Gerhardt
The Reformed tradition (think Calvinism) and the Lutherans weren’t getting along in seventeenth century Germany. The feud was long-standing, and their theological differences were hotly debated. Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676) came to Berlin to pastor a Lutheran church,...
by Peter James | Nov 4, 2024 | William of Orange
On paper, William of Orange (1650-1702) and Mary Stuart were the odd couple. He was twenty-six; she was barely fifteen. William was five inches shorter with a crooked nose and a hunchback, described by one eyewitness as “the plainest man in England.” Mary...
by Peter James | Nov 3, 2024 | Johann Heermann
Why do we complain so much? Are we venting pent-up emotion? Are we seeking to connect with people who share our mutual dissatisfaction? Are we seeking an outlet to validate hurt feelings? Frequently, as I research prayers to inclusion in Prayers from the Cloud, I come...
by Peter James | Nov 2, 2024 | Evelyn Brand
She was an elegant young woman living in an affluent section of London. She heard a missionary speak about the need for more workers to share the gospel in the hill country of southern India, nicknamed “the mountains of death” for diseases like malaria...
by Peter James | Nov 1, 2024 | Paul Brand
We seek pleasure; we avoid pain. Our gravitation toward pleasure and avoidance of pain is universal to human experience. We run from pain and avoid it at all costs. We self-medicate at the slightest hint of discomfort. Here’s a counter-intuitive thought: pain could be...
